"Freedom lies in the shadows, but what I desire lies in the light. The City's changed, I've changed. Progress, taking jobs from the poor, padding the pockets of the rich and they call me a thief. This city's got troubles enough, sickness roams the streets, despair is everywhere it cannot be contained by the walls that seperate us and neither can I. In my dreams I see 'her' dying, I never paid the price for anything ... until now" - Garrett [1]

Garrett (AKA Master Thief) is the protagonist of Thief, a professional and highly accomplished criminal operating within the walls of the City. An enigmatic figure who uses his enormous talents for larceny for own personal gain, he has gained an unparalleled reputation that has earned him the title 'Master Thief' throughout the City and The Watch.

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It is speculated that Garrett was born sometime before NRy812 in The City, though not much is known about his early childhood. His parents died when he was young and he was turned over to orphanage from which he eventually escaped. He ended up living on the streets. "First I stole to survive, now I survive to steal." His very survival depended on stealing, while he was still young he learned to swiftly relieve people of their possessions while they went about their daily business, leaving many to believe they had accidentally misplaced their belongings. For years he honed his thievery skills to perfection. Also learning to craft his own clothing, gear and weaponry.

At some point Garrett moved into the abandoned Clock Tower located in the Stonemarket District. Though initially broken due to past fatal construction incidents, he effectively learned how to maintain the towers mechanisms. The ghost stories proved useful in keeping the locals from questioning his presence and allowed him to make it his safehouse.

As Garrett's reputation as a thief increased he eventually met Basso. Over time the two became close professional friends. Basso acted as his primary fence and gave him various jobs to steal certain valuables and objects of personal interest. Garrett also came to befriend Basso's magpie Jenivere, who acted as a courier between the two.

A few years prior to the events of the game Basso introduced Garrett to a young girl named Erin. It turned out she was the one who had tried and failed to pickpocket Garrett[1]. Impressed by her talent Garrett personally took her on as his apprentice. Through the next couple of years he began teaching her the skills he had acquired and they developed a working partnership. However during a job to steal some paperwork for Basso, Garrett was spotted by a guard. Acting on impulse Erin killed the man. This reckless action horrified Garrett. He immediately told Erin they were through, that he had tried to get her to listen and was finished being responsible for cleaning up after her[2].

"If there's one thing this city's taught me, you can put a price on anything. Secrets, reputations ... a life. And trust? If you have to ask, you can't afford it . But then I suppose none of that matters when you're me. After all ... when did I ever pay for anything? - Garrett[3]

At some point in month 6, NRy841, Garrett was assigned a commission by Basso where he was tasked with collecting a particular item called the 'Primal Stone' located in a ceremony room at Northcrest Manor, where he was informed about Erin's involvement to which he reluctantly agreed to.

In 6 20 NRy841, during the Summersday Festival's Eve, Garrett stealthy infiltrated the resident houses of Auldale where he then managed to acquire a necklace of high value. Seconds later Garrett was reunited with Erin on top of the Thieves' Highway, upon recalling past events the two engaged in a one-sided thieving competition to which Garrett pick-pocketed several items on the journey before catching up with her where the pair discussed their assignment, though Garrett noted about the high security and potential risks only to be brushed off by Erin.

Upon arriving at the Baron's Mansion the pair silently navigated around, however when Erin kills a young guard to which Garrett heavily disapproved and expressed disdain at Erin's cold and impatient nature, firmly reminding her about his personal code of not taking out individuals who did not pose a threat only to be countered by Erin; this action led the two to bicker for the duration of the mission to the point where they reached above the ceremony room Garrett took possession of her 'Claw' to prevent her from performing any more rash actions.

Garrett losing Erin

Reaching the ceiling the two stumbled upon and discovered a ritual being conducted by Baron Northcrest, noticing something strange, Garrett decided to call off the mission however Erin determined to prove herself went to complete the job leading to a brief struggle between the two which ended with the claw ending up on a glass ceiling which then shattered. Garrett desperately attempted to pull Erin up but ultimately his apprentice fell into the channeled energy infusing her with the power of the Primal, causing a massive surge leading Garrett to fall only to be narrowly saved by his grappling hook (albeit piercing the Thief-Taker General's leg) but in the process a fragment of the Primal became embedded into his eye and was then knocked unconscious by the collapsing rubble and fell into a coma.

After the incident Garrett's body was found by the Beggers operating under their Queen, though presumed to be dead they healed his wounded body and brought him out of the City as a means of safeguarding him and thus awaited for him to recover (spanning for a whole year). Eventually after the Gloom began he awakened in a cart being pulled by two Beggars who managed to bring him into the City just before lockdown.

Garrett upon returning to the Clock Tower

Puzzled by the chain of events, Garrett journeyed through the remains of The City where he discovered the grief stricken plague had affected along with the brutal Watch treating the citizens, through his time he managed to steal a valuable golden mask from a jewelry store before eventually reaching the Clock-Tower. Upon entering his safe house Garrett noticed the passage of time before spotting Jenivere as well as a message to meet with Basso.

Garrett after reuniting with Basso and assigned a task to obtain a 'ring'.

Upon arriving in The Crippled Burrick Garrett reunited with his old friend, though Basso expressed shock and dismay over Garrett's disappearence, he nevertheless stated that he was happy to see him and thus assigned him on a mission to obtain a 'ring' from the recently deceased Cornelius whose body had been transported located in the Old Foundry despite Garrett proclaiming that he was a thief and not a graverobber he happily accepted the assignment and departed.

Garrett being informed by the Queen of Beggars regarding the events at Northcrest Manor.

On his way toward the Old Chapel, Garrett encountered the Queen of Beggars where he personally inquired her about the events of last year and questioned Erin's whereabouts. However to his displeasure he only discovered what happened to him after the incident and thus left before receiving a word of caution from the Queen.

Garrett witnessing a grotesque act by the Thief-Taker General

Upon journeying to the old Vale street Ironworks Garrett infiltrated the old foundry where he began experiencing visions of Erin. Eventualy Garrett managed to reach the furnace hall where Cornelius body was located however to his surprise the Thief-Taker General arrived and subsequently discovered the ring inside the corpse which he took possession of. Garrett managed to sneak into the Supervisors Office where the artifact had been stored which Garrett took possession of only to engage in a brief struggle between the Thief-Taker General and escaped.

5 nights later, Garrett managed to repair the Clock Tower. in his hideout upon burning several wanted posters, Garrett received a message from Basso informing him of a client. Garrett journeyed to Black Alley where upon arrival Basso introduced him to Orion, the charismatic leader of The Graven - a revolution plotting to remove the Baron from power. Garrett falls unconscious after experiencing a vision of Erin, after recovering Orion requests for Garrett to retrieve a 'book' located somewhere underneath the House of Blossoms, though skeptical, Garrett reluctantly agreed.

Garrett aquiring the Ritual Book

Before his assignment, Garrett visited Carlysle's Mill, an abandoned area which also acted as Erin's personal hideout, upon investigating Garrett discovered a peculiar cipher device located in her room and subsequently continues to experience visions of Erin.

Garrett being pinned against a wall by the Thief-Taker General.

Upon arriving at the brothel, Garrett navigated through the underground and managed to infiltrate the House of Blossoms, where through a painting located in Madam Xiao-Xiao's study, Garrett discovered a secret entrance to the ancient library. Upon venturing deeper into the underground library he eventually managed to recover the book and escaped through underneath a personal bed only to narrowly escape from another confrontation with the Thief-Taker General.

7 nights later in his hideout, Garrett discovered a mortally wounded Jenivere whom eventually succumbed to her injuries and died leading Garrett to travel to the Crippled Burrick, upon arrival he discovered Basso was missing and was informed by Orion (whom was searching for the Ritual book) that his friend had been brutally apprehended by the Thief-Taker General and was imprisoned in The Keep. After retrieving the necessary information of Basso's whereabouts, JacobGarrett revealed the book behind a personal safe box and reluctantly handed the book to Orion, promising to rescue his Graven after he has first found Basso.

Garrett aquiring the plans to the Keep.

Upon arriving in Greystone Plaza, Garrett traveled to the house owned by Theodore Eastwick - the Baron's architect who had personally built the fortfified Keep in order to gain more intel regarding the Keep's design and layout. Through venturing Garrett infiltrated the safeguarded house and eventually reached the top floor (via elevator), upon where he discovered Eastwick's hung corpse. Searching for clues Garrett discovered from a painting a hidden diorama puzzle where upon solving Garrett managed to acquire the plans of the Keep only before narrowly avoiding capture by The Watch by freerunnnig through the city rooftops into the streets of Carlysle Court. Upon scanning the plans Garrett discovered the 'Baron's Great Safe'

Garrett deciding to find the ledgendary great safe and parts way with Basso.

Venturing further Garrett eventually reached the direct outside of The Keep, narrowly avoided a collapsing debris of rubble and traveled through the remains of the collapsing building. Eventually Garrett managed to reach the cell where Basso had been imprisoned and rescued him, however Garrett proved unable to resist the tales of the legendary great safe and thus Garrett parted ways with Basso before promising to meet up at The Siren's Rest located in the South Gate Quarter.

Garrett's hand is implailed by the Thief-Taker General upon first attempting to open the vault.

Ascending upwards to the great safe, upon attempting to open the secret vault, Garrett is ambushed by the Thief-Taker General (piercing his left hand with an arrow). Garrett narrowly evades capture from the Watch and eventually manages to open the great safe where he finds a piece of the Primal inside. he experiences another vision of Erin upon where she instructs him to travel to 'Moira Asylum'. Afterwards surviving a fall from the Keep Garrett heads back to the Clock Tower.

Six nights later, arriving at the Siren's Rest, Garrett meets again with Basso, upon calling a favor to travel across to the Moria Asylum in order to search for clues regarding Erin. Upon sailing to the abandoned island Garrett recalls to Basso the events at Northcrest Manor and Erin's fate. Upon boarding the island he ventures deeper into the madhouse however to his dissappointment he finds no trace of her whereabouts but later experiences another vision of Erin (during her time at Moira Aslyum, where she was upheld by Elias Northcrest.) Following this Garrett decided to head to Northcrest Manor to question the Baron himself regarding Erin's whereabouts.

Upon reaching the fortified manor during the time of a massive revolution orchestrated by Orion, Garrett infiltrates the manor where during his time he manages to acquire a valuable item 'The Heart of the Lion'.

Upon reaching the top floor where the Baron's chambers are located Garrett confronts the Baron, questioning him about Erin's fate, where he is informed that Orion is his illegitimate brother Aldous whom took possession of Erin at Moria Asylum in the hope of conducting a ritual aided by Garrett's acquired items including the Ritual Book, The Ring, The Primal stone and deduces that Garrett is in possession of the final piece of Primal stone, embedded in his eye.

Garrett made his way to the ceremony room upon reaching outside he found the Baron's secret laboratory upon where inside he discovered another fragment of the primal stone located within a glass container, upon overloading the containment systems pipes, Garrett managed to acquire the primal fragment. After suffering from another vision Garrett was then intercepted by the Thief-Taker General though he managed to stun the general and escape through the sewers. Afterwards Garrett swiftly navigated his way through the collapsing burning bridge which he only narrowly managed to leap across a bridge to safety.

After returning to the clock tower, Garrett (to his surprise) was greeted by the queen of beggars upon where he was informed about the incident at Northcrest manor infused Erin with The City and that Garrett needed to journey to the cathedral in order to reassemble the primal and contain the power of the primal in order to save both her and the city; Garrett however expressed doubt noting himself as 'no savior' only to be reassured by the queen before vanishing.

Garrett traveled to the old Cathedral where upon navigating throughout the underground city he eventually discovered a ritual being conducted by Orion however before he could accomplish this, Garrett again began to suffer frequent visions of Erin where he then managed to steal the primal fragment, he attempted to warn Orion regarding the dangers that the Primal held towards those who used it only to be brushed off. Immediately a massive surge erupted allowing Orion to escape with Erin captive, Garrett was again confronted by the Thief-Taker General where the two engaged in battle where Garrett finally dispatched the general with the Claw.

Garrett attempting to reason with Erin into realising the Primal energy from her.

Following pursuit Garrett journeyed his way through the underground tunnels which eventually led him to Orion's ship 'The Dawn's Light '. Garrett navigated inside the ship where he finally managed to track down Orion deep inside the ship's chapel, he attempted to convince him into releasing Erin to no avail. After Erin overpowered the Primal stone (killing Orion in the process) she turned her attention towards Garret feeling betrayed by him and sardonicly questioning if he even cared Garrett gently confirmed that he did in fact care however Erin did not believe him and immediately vanished.

Garrett followed Erin across the ship attempting to save her upon which after a series of attacks, Garrett was finally able to assemble all three pieces of the Primal together which allowed him to extract the primal energy from Erin. However (inadvertently) the two appeared on the edge of the ship with Garrett desperately attempting to pull Erin up from falling into the ocean, Garrett activated the book which released an amount of energy however when Erin falls from his grip he immediately threw her the claw however Garrett fell unconscious in the process.

Garrett standing over the horrizon of the newly cured city from the Glook

Upon awakening Garrett discovered the claw buried into a plank of wood and watery footprints leading away (implying that Erin survived the fall) leaving Garrett to witness the newly gloom-ridden sky alone.

"First I stole to survive, then I survived to steal. It is all I know and all I will ever know." - Garrett

Garrett's piercing glare.

Garrett is a cynical and jaded loner who spends the vast majority of his time by himself. He has very few friends and prefers it that way, trusting a scant amount of people with information on his private life. He treats new people with anything from curt mistrust to outright hostility, as seen with his first meeting with Orion. Because of his distant attitude, most who do not know him find him sinister in appearance and demeanor. Despite this and his profession as a career criminal, Garrett is not callous and is capable of feeling guilt for his actions. He has a razor sharp wit, often remarking on events with sarcasm. He seems to reserve his sense of humor for himself and his close associates.

Garrett could be considered a consummate professional. He is solely devoted to his profession, spending all his time and effort on larceny and honing his skills as a thief into an art. For Garrett, thievery is a form of freedom from the bonds of society and law. It is a central part of his identity; he steals because he's the best there is and he values his professional reputation. Garrett will often pass on jobs if they are too easy or do not involve proper thievery, while pursuing marks without commission if tempted with alluring challenge or reward. He views himself as a devoted thief and refuses to be something he perceives as lesser, be it an assassin or a grave robber. He finds needless death or collateral damage pragmatically abhorrent, viewing it as unprofessional and brings unneeded attention to his job.

Anytime he is not on a heist, he's planning the next one. What time Garrett uses for recreation he spends maintaining the clock tower he lives in as well as maintenance on his equipment. He also has both a personal and professional appreciation for fine art and craftsmanship. He is shown to collect rare and priceless items for his own personal collection, ranging from jewelry, paintings, or rare curios of unique historical significance.

Garrett is capable of forming friendships with those that have demonstrated they are worthy of his trust, though he still maintains a level of distance from them. He shares a close but professional relationship with his fence Basso, whom Garrett was willing to break into the Watch's fortified stronghold to rescue. Likewise he seems to have friendly interactions with the Queen of Beggars. His most complicated relationship was with his former apprentice Erin. Garrett cares for her on an almost fraternal level, but being distant and a strict taskmaster the two in their best times have a rocky mentor and apprentice relationship due to Erin's free and violent spirit. In the worst of times their arguments result in deep resentment and the two cutting contact with each other.

Garrett is a slim male of below-average height, with pale skin and dark eyes. He has a lithe and graceful body with long, elegant hands. His hair color is black in concept art, though he never removes his hood in game. After the events of the game's prologue, he bears a long and jagged scar over his right eye and cheek. Additionally, his right eye becomes pale green and glows when using his Focus ability.

"There are those that believe the perfect heist lies in the preparation, some say that its all in the timing, seizing the right opportunity, others even say its the ability to leave no trace behind be a ghost. For me its simple its a way of life."

As a master thief Garrett is highly adept in the arts of stealth and larceny. He is able to use the darkness to his advantage in order to avoid detection, becoming almost invisible to others. He is able to move silently through an environment, able to dart from shadow to shadow without making a sound. Garrett's hands are his greatest asset. After a lifetime of thievery experience, he is able to pick pockets with startling efficiency. He's able to remove jewelry and coin purses from an individual at blinding speed without them being any the wiser. He is also an expert lock pick, able to bypass locks with great precision.

Garrett is a master of observation, able to scan an environment and quickly appraise it for guards, valuables, and other points of interest. His knowledge of art and appraisal means he can quickly pinpoint items worth stealing. After the incident at Northcrest Manor, this is further enhanced by his Focus ability. This heightens his senses to supernatural levels. These senses allow him to highlight points of interest in the environment, slow his perception of time, and see visual representations of noises, internal lock mechanisms, and frequently trafficked areas.

He is also proficient in combat, being able to utilize his blackjack to pacify unsuspecting targets as well as defend himself in a straight confrontation. While he can handle himself in a fight, he is not a world renowned fighter and can quickly be overwhelmed by superior foes. A skilled marksman, he wields a mechanical compound bow (of his own design) with great precision and accuracy; as such he possesses a wide aresenal of arrow types including Water, Rope, Fire , Choke, Blast, Broadhead, Sawtooth and Blunt types. These arrows allow him to harm foes or change the environment, such as snuffing torches out with water arrows or activating distant switches with blunt arrows.

Garrett wears a custom sneaking suit of his own design. It is composed of stitched leather armor that muffles any movement while giving him minor protection against injury. Integrated in the armor is a leather hood which he constantly wears, as well as a mask he sues to conceal his identity should he be spotted during a heist. Various pockets for his trade tools are hidden in the suit, allowing him to carry a wide array of gadget like flashbombs. His cloak hangs calf high and is tattered to help break up his human form while hiding in the shadows. His gloves have his fingers exposed in order to allow his nimble hands to operate without the hindrance of armor or cloth.

Garrett scaling across a wall.

Garrett is a proficient acrobat and climber. He is able to quickly scale walls to out of reach places, as well as climbing on pipes and ledges to get to hidden entrances. He regularly utilizes rooftops and window ledges to navigate the City out of ground level view and the reach of guards. This is further enhanced by the addition of The Claw and rope arrows to his arsenal, allowing him to reach locations he wouldn't be able to otherwise. This athleticism has made Garrett quite fit and a fast runner, able to outrun the majority of would be opponents. However, like anyone Garrett can only push himself for so long before needing to regain his breath.

Garrett has lived in The City all his life. He's an experienced and shadowy figure, skilled in thievery, stealth, infiltration and escape. He's known to the rest of the underworld as the ‘Master Thief' - the best of the best. His age is unknown.

Garrett has little memory of his parents, as they died when he was young. After he escaped the orphanage he was thrown into, Garrett's entry into the world of the thief was almost inevitable, yet his raw talent meant he quickly excelled. As well as his exceptional skills, Garrett relies on his in-depth knowledge of its streets, rooftops and shadows to get by.

Garrett is a self-reliant observer who sees more than others, and knows more than he lets on. His words often have gravitas but are balanced by a sometimes wry approach to life that offsets its darker edge (and Garrett's own.) Although Garrett once stole to live, now he lives to steal. It is less for the gold and more for the lure of the impenetrable, the impossible, the secret, the unknown. The challenge is what keeps his body and mind alive and sharp.

Garrett has a few rules he applies to himself; don't trust anyone, work alone and only kill as a last resort. Meeting a young thief on the streets of The City named Erin has challenged all three.

The name Garrett is a name of early medieval English origin and is derived from both Gerard meaning 'spear' and Gerald meaning 'to rule'.

According to Edios Montreal, Garrett is estimated to be in his 30's. [4]

During the development on Garrett's appearance Edios Montreal Art Director (Nicholas Cantin) stated that several inspirations included Brandon Lee from The Crow, Jonny Depp's portrayal ofSweeney Toddandadditionally Storm Shadow from G.I.Joe. These influences aided in presenting Garrett's character as an imposing combination of Industrial and Victorian.[5]

Upon the designing of Garrett's facial appearance, definitive of a 'Robin Hood-like' figure, Joel Dos Rei Viegas stated the initial facial design was considered 'too scary and evil' - He alongside Nicholas Cantin later redesigned his face to present a more 'attractive' look whilst retaining his green eye and 'sly smile' in order to distinguish Garrett as a hero as opposed to a villain. [6]

Originally Veteran actor Stephen Russell was considered to portray Garrett, however due to the advanced technique of full performance capture - which required the actor to perform their own stunts. In an interview with Audio Director Jean-Christophe Verbert explained. "Garrett's a really athletic guy. We could have pasted Stephen's voice on top of the actions and stunts of someone else, but this wouldn't appear natural. It really wouldn't make any sense to capture the full performance for our other characters, but not for our star."

Garrett is believed to be a descendant or reincarnation of the original Sneak Thief from the previous THIEF series. There are references to some of their events, or events which occurred in the backstory of the original games. But most of these events are implied to have occurred at least several generations in the past. This suggests events such as Karras in the Metal Age, the destruction of the Stonemarket Clock Tower, and a banning of the old religions occurred a long time ago.

The older Garrett has since become known as the legendary 'Sneak Thief'. Evidence in the game points to him spending time in Moira Asylum after the events of Deadly Shadows for unknown reasons. His Mechanical Eye is a unique loot item that can be found in the Old Prison beneath the Moira Asylum. What his ultimate fate was is remains unknown.

Garrett finds that some of the symbols and artifacts in the Keeper ruins under The City to be strangely familiar to him, as well as equating robes with bad news. This suggests he may intuitively remember the Keeper Order, which the original Garrett during the Bresling dynasty had significant dealings with.

Both Orion and the Queen of Beggars have made comments that 'Garrett' is someone that brings 'change' to The City. This may be a nod to older "Sneak Thief" Garrett, who brought change to The City by saving it three times as prophesied by the Keepers.

Garrett's Primal-infused eye is a homage to The Sneak Thief's Mechanical Eye - both eyes possess a mysterious green aura and grant their users the ability to enhance their vision.

Garrett appears to have proficient knowledge of engineering, on top of designing his own compound bow, he admits in game to maintaining the clockwork of the Stonemarket Clock Tower to keep it running as the machinery running helps him sleep.

Garrett is an awful horticulturist, as seen by the dead plants in his safe house, which might imply that he cares little for other things than his trade. The death of these plants could however also have been caused by his prolonged absence, the year between the Baron's mansion and being reinserted into the city.

In Chapter 4: A Friend In Need, after being shot by the Thief-Taker General, Garrett will posses a bandage worn on his left hand throughout the remainder of the game.

Garrett appears to have an aversion to swimming.

Stonemarket District is Garrett's personal favorite landmark of The City.